She never met anyone who made her feel the way John did. Well, “met” isn’t really the right word here, considering she had only talked to him online and on the phone. But his late night instant messages were as though he was whispering sweet nothings into her ear. And his quick emails during the day left Linda’s heart fluttering as if she had just walked past the cute stock boy in the hallway. She quickly looked forward to his calls, mostly conversing about normal stuff. Work, friends, family. It doesn’t matter how they first laid eyes on each other. Or computer mice in this case. It could have been Match, E-Harmony or even MySpace. But that’s no ones business but their own.

So when Linda finally got the invite from John, she packed her red suitcase. She was going to the “Big City.” She had never ventured east, but she had watched the HBO shows so she knew what to expect. Wheeling her bag through Penn Station, the sights and sounds were overwhelming. The knot in her stomach, so tight, it was as if ten Boy Scouts set up shop in there. She had seen pictures, but people never look the same. Scanning the crowds, a man, not too tall but not too short was standing, with one rose. A smile on his face as their eyes locked. As if John had just come home from war, Linda dropped her bag and rushed over to him, hysterically crying as they physically embrace for the first time.

It didn’t take long for John to empty a dresser drawer for her things. “I think I’ll stay awhile,” Linda said.